Freezing mist, sleet in mountains lead to slippery roads, trails

Taipei, Freezing mist covered Taiwan's highest mountain, Yushan, and sleet fell on Hehuanshan early Sunday, leading rangers and police to warn of slippery roads and hiking trails in both areas.

Temperatures on the North Peak of Yushan (Jade Mountain) fell to minus 3 degrees Celsius early Sunday morning, and Paiyun Lodge, where most hikers to the peak of Yushan stay overnight, registered a low of minus 1 degree, the Yushan National Park Headquarters said.

Though there was no sign of snow, the kilometer-long trail from Paiyun Lodge at an altitude of 3,402 meters to Yushan's 3,952-meter high main peak was covered by freezing mist, leaving the path slippery, rangers at the headquarters warned.

No restrictions on hikers were put in place overnight, but staff at Paiyun Lodge were instructed to alert visitors to take precautions against the cold and the slippery trail, the rangers said.

On Hehuanshan in Central Taiwan, meanwhile, sleet fell at 3 a.m. and 10 a.m. on Sunday, said local police who reinforced traffic controls at Wuling Peak and Song Syue Lodge.

Vehicles traveling to Hehuanshan had not been required to install snow chains on their tires as of early Sunday afternoon, but hikers were warned to take safety precautions because fog was expected to settle into the mountain area during the afternoon, police said.